


Here's To Right Now

by supercali



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 13:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9898859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercali/pseuds/supercali
Summary: Just married, Aaron goes to look for Robert.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure where this sprung from but it’s been whirling round in my brain since yesterday, so I wrote it and posted it on tumblr before I tweaked it too much.
> 
> It’s ages since I wrote anything and I’m not sure I’ve got their voices yet, so it’s with trepidation that I post as there are lots of similar stories that are so amazing!

"Mum!" Aaron protests as Chas aims her phone his way for what seems like the thousandth time. He’s given up trying to get the phone from her; it was useless when she and Robert teamed up on him.

"Aaron!" She parrots back at him, more than a few glasses of whatever having passed her lips. "Where's that husband of yours?" He looks around, the pub empty except for his mum, Charity, a sleeping Noah and cuddled up in a corner, a loved-up Victoria and Adam.

"He insisted on walking Diane back, though he could barely walk down the steps outside earlier so...I should go look for him."

"Surely even Robert can't get into trouble walking there and back?"

Aaron snorts, "He's pretty drunk. I'll go find him. You should get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” He wants to say something, to thank her for everything but he can’t find the words so he smiles, hopes she understands.

She pats him on the cheek, "I'm so proud of you love, you know that?"

He protests but hugs her anyway before leaving the pub, waving to Vic and Adam as he goes. He shoves his hands in his pockets against the cold as he steps outside, looking up the road at the shadowy shape of The Mill. He knows it's likely that he won't get to move in at the same time as Robert and Liv. He told Robert he was being stupid when he said they'd wait for him that they weren’t moving without him, he told him that there was no point in the house standing empty if he was away for months or years. 

He swallows hard, trying to push down the lump in his throat. He wants that life; he wants to argue over paint colours, over kitchen cabinets without door handles. He wants to bicker about whose turn it is to cook, who should put the bins out. He wants a life with his family so much that it hurts to even think of a time when they can be together again. 

Pushing it to the back of his mind he carries on walking, because if he doesn't he'll lose the feeling of utter happiness that he's got right now and he wants to hold onto it just that bit longer, for as long as he can.

When he reaches Brook Cottage the lights are out and there's no sign of Robert. He'd call him but both their phones are on their bedside cabinets. Deciding to enjoy the fresh air a bit longer he carries on walking taking in the village, hoping to spot his daft and inebriated husband. Husband! They might have been talking about this for months, planning for a wedding that they wouldn’t get and end up getting married in a garage, but he hadn’t really considered what happened after, never really thought it would change. They’d just carry on, Aaron and Robert, but no, it is different. He can’t really explain it but it’s there, it’s nice, it’s wonderful.

He stops, somehow while he’s been thinking his feet have carried him to the graveyard. He thinks he may as well carry on do a full circuit of the village before heading back to hopefully find Robert waiting. As he reaches the gate he hears a soft voice and a smile crosses his face.

He wanders over the grass quietly watching Robert. He's sat on the ground, legs pulled up, and elbows resting on his knees. He feels his heart clench as he stands there, Robert’s soft voice carrying across the breeze. As he reaches him he drops a hand on the top of his blonde head. He can guess why he’s here but he didn’t expect to have to drag his husband home from a graveyard on his wedding night.

"This a private party?" He asks as he lowers himself to the ground next to him, an arm immediately reaching out to wrap around Robert's back. "How's your head, lightweight?"

“Excuse me? I drank out of a welly for you and this is the gratitude I get?” He smiles and Aaron wishes they were somewhere else, not in a graveyard, at his mother-in-law’s grave because he wants to kiss Robert and never stop.

“Yeah, yeah. So you often hang out in graveyards in the dead of night?” He quirks an eyebrow so Robert knows he’s joking. They don’t talk about Sarah much; they don’t talk about any of Robert’s family much except for Vic and wondering where Andy is. Aaron often wonders whether he should ask more, to try and get Robert to talk about them but the little frown he gets whenever it’s brought up has been enough to stop him so far. Aaron knows what happened to her, knew long before he met Robert, remembers his Mum telling him and even back then when his feelings about his own mother were somewhat conflicted, he’d given her a hug, couldn’t imagine losing her like that.

"I...wanted to...just..." He nods towards the headstone in front of them and sighs, "wanted to tell her."

"She'd be happy." Aaron tells him. "From what you've told me about her, she would. I…I do think you should tell them you know, about your Dad, Diane at least. I know you don’t want Vic to know but you could tell Diane, it might help." Robert shrugs. “You might be glad of someone to talk to soon, Robert.”

“Don’t!” He almost doesn’t hear it but the pleading in his voice takes Aaron back to the quarry, the frantic “No!” when Aaron told him to go, to leave him there.

“Robert…” He sighs, because he knows Robert is going to have to deal with the fact he’ll be away longer than he thinks and he won’t be here to help him when he does. “Alright, just think about it.” He rubs his hand gently up and down Robert’s back feeling the tension slowly start to leave.

"Maybe. It’s been easier since I told you, so...” He trails off and Aaron takes his hand, thumb brushing over his wedding ring. Robert looks back at the headstone. “I wish she was here. I wish she could know you, you and Liv." Robert says, “Though what she’d make of that one’s fondness for alcohol, I don’t know. Then again she’d probably clip me round the ear for getting drunk too.” Aaron huffs out a laugh but inside he’s worried about his sister. It’s getting to be a habit, her drinking, and he has to trust Robert to deal with it. He does trust Robert to deal with it but that familiar feeling of failure settles over him and this time he can’t push it away. Aaron doesn’t know what to say because whatever he says just isn’t enough and he feels like he doesn’t have time to get it right. So instead he fixes a smile on his face and gently pushes himself to his feet.

“Take me home, husband.”

“Oh that’s how it’s going to be now is it? You ordering me around all the time.” Robert allows Aaron to pull him up then steals a quick kiss as he stands.

“Start as you mean to go on, isn’t that what they say? Come on.”

“Bye Mum.” Robert whispers as they pass and wraps an arm around Aaron, pulling him tight to him like he never wants to let him go.

“I don’t want to sleep.” Aaron whispers, as they walk along the road to the pub, his voice breaking.

“So we won’t. We’ll watch the sun come up.” Robert presses a kiss to Aaron’s head. “Aaron, it’s going to be difficult, probably unbearable, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here waiting for you, me and Liv. I’ll look after her, I promise, you don’t have to worry about her.”

“I know.” He will of course, and Robert knows he will.

“This time next year we’re going to have spent a wonderful day together, celebrating our anniversary in our home. Obviously I’ll have to bung Liv fifty quid to get the place to ourselves but we’ll be together and it’ll be perfect.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” They stop, having reached the pub, faint music reaching their ears. He dips his head finding Aaron’s lips, bringing his hands up to cradle his face. “I love you, Aaron Dingle.”

“I love you too, Robert Sugden.” He whispers back and a tear escapes rolling down his cheek until Robert’s thumb brushes it away.

“Then that’s all that matters. Ok?” Aaron nods and Robert hugs him tight once more. “Come on. Let’s go in. Husband.”

He doesn’t let go of Aaron’s hand until they’re safely alone in their bedroom and just after six they’ll get up and walk hand in hand up to one of the farms and watch the sun come up over the fields and that’ll have to be enough, for now.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr  @nooneelsecomesclose17


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